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CAES. CAESAR, for his rule, and for fo much stuffe As fortune puts in his hand, shall dispose it (As if his hand had eyes, and foule, in it)

With worth, and iudgement. "Hands, that part with
gifts,

"Or will reftraine their vfe, without defert;
"Or with a miferie, numm'd to vertues right,
"Worke, as they had no foule to gouerne them,

"And quite reie&t her: feu'ring their eftates
"From humane order. Whofoeuer can,
"And will not cherish vertue, is no man.

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65

CAES.

EQVES. VIRGIL is now at hand, imperiall Caesar.
Romes honour is at hand then.

Fetch a

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chaire,

And fet it on our right hand; where 'tis fit,
Romes honour, and our owne, fhould euer sit.
Now he is come out of Campania,

I doubt not, he hath finifht all his Eneids,
Which, like another foule, I long t'enioy.
What thinke* you three, of VIRGIL, gentlemen,
* Viz. Mecanas, Gallus, Tibullus
(That are of his profeffion, though rankt higher)
Or HORACE, what faift thou, that art the poorest,

And likelieft to enuy, or to detra&t?

HORA. CAESAR speakes after common men, in this, To make a difference of me, for my pooreneffe:

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As if the filth of pouertie funke as deepe

Into a knowing spirit, as the bane

Of riches doth, into an ignorant foule.

No, CAESAR, they be path-leffe, moorish minds,

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That being once made rotten with the dung
Of damned riches, euer after finke
Beneath the steps of any villanie.

But knowledge is the nectar, that keepes fweet
A perfect foule, euen in this graue of sinne;

67 Enter some of the Equestrian order. G Enter an Eques. N

75 *Viz. . . . Tibullus.] om. Q, W, G

*Viz.] om. N

And for my foule, it is as free, as CAESARS :
For, what I know is due, I'le giue to all.
"He that detracts, or enuies vertuous merit,
"Is ftill the couetous, and the ignorant ípirit.

CAES. Thankes, HORACE, for thy free, and holsome
sharpnesse :

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[332] Which pleaseth CAESAR more, then feruile fawnes. 95 "A flatterd prince foone turnes the prince of fooles.

And for thy fake, wee'll put no difference more
Betweene the great, and good, for being poore.

Say then, lou'd HORACE, thy true thought of VIRGIL.
HORA. I iudge him of a rectified spirit,

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By many reuolutions of difcourfe

(In his bright reasons influence) refin'd

From all the tartarous moodes of common men;
Bearing the nature, and fimilitude

Of a right heauenly bodie: most seuere

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In fashion, and collection of himselfe,

And then as cleare, and confident, as Iove.

GALL. And yet so chaste, and tender is his eare, In fuffering any fyllable to paffe,

That, he thinkes, may become the honour'd name
Of iffue to his fo examin'd felfe;

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That all the lasting fruits of his full merit

In his owne poemes, he doth still distaste:

As if his mindes peece, which he stroue to paint,
Could not with fleshly pencils haue her right.

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TIBV. But, to approue his workes of foueraigne worth,

This obferuation (me thinkes) more then ferues:
And is not vulgar. That, which he hath writ,
Is with fuch iudgement, labour'd, and diftill'd
Through all the needfull víes of our liues,
That could a man remember but his lines,
He should not touch at any serious point,
But he might breathe his spirit out of him.

114 Piece 1692, 1716, W, G peace N

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CAES. You meane, he might repeat part of his

workes,

As fit for any conference, he can vie?

TIBV. True, royall CAESAR. CAES. Worthily obferu'd:

And a moft worthie vertue in his workes.

What thinks materiall HORACE, of his learning?

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HORA. His learning labours not the schoole-like

gloffe,

That most confifts in ecchoing wordes, and termes,
And fooneft wins a man an empty name;

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Nor any long, or far-fetcht circumstance,
Wrapt in the curious generalties of artes:
But a direct, and analyticke summe

Of all the worth and firft effects of artes.
And for his poefie, 'tis fo ramm'd with life,

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That it shall gather ftrength of life, with being,

And liue hereafter, more admir'd, then now.

CAES. This one confent, in all your doomes of him, [333] And mutuall loues of all your feuerall merits, Argues a trueth of merit in you all.

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CESAR, VIRGIL, MECOENAS, GAL

LVS, TIBVLLVS, HORACE,

EQVITES RO.

Ee, here comes VIRGIL; we will rife and greet him:

SE

Welcome to CAESAR, VIRGIL. CAESAR, and VIRGIL
Shall differ but in found; to CAESAR, VIRGIL

(Of his expreffed greatneffe) shall be made
A fecond fur-name, and to VIRGIL, CAESAR.

126 'Tis worthily Q

fetch 1692

SCENA SECVNDA. Q I Cæsar. Q, 1716, W

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Where are thy famous Eneids? doe vs grace
To let vs fee, and furfet on their fight.

VIRG.

eyes,

Worthleffe they are of CAESARS gracious

If they were perfect; much more with their wants:
Which yet are more, then my time could fupply.
And, could great CAESARS expectation

Be satisfied with any other feruice,

I would not fhew them. CAES. VIRGIL is too modeft;
Or feekes, in vaine, to make our longings more.

Shew them, fweet VIRGIL. VIRG. Then, in fuch due

feare,

As fits presenters of great workes, to CAESAR,

I humbly fhew them. CAES. Let vs now behold

A humane foule made visible in life;

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And more refulgent in a senselesse paper,
Then in the fenfuall complement of Kings.

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Read, read, thy felfe, deare VIRGIL, let not me
Prophane one accent, with an vntun'd tongue :

"Beft matter, badly showne, fhewes worse, then bad.
See then, this chaire, of purpose set for thee
To reade thy poeme in: refufse it not.
"Vertue, without prefumption, place may take
"Aboue best Kings, whom onely she should make.

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VIRG. It will be thought a thing ridiculous

To prefent eyes, and to all future times

A groffe vntruth; that any poet (void

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Of birth, or wealth, or temporall dignity)

Should, with decorum, tranfcend CAESARS chaire.
"Poore vertue raif'd, high birth and wealth fet vnder,
"Croffeth heau'ns courfes, and makes worldlings

wonder.

CAES. The course of heauen, and fate it felfe, in this

Will CAESAR Croffe; much more all worldly custome.

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10 are yet W, G 1692 wordlings W

20 Compliment 1716, W, N

34 Worldings

[334] HORA. "Cuftome, in courfe of honour, euer

erres:

"And they are best, whom fortune least

preferres.

CAES. HORACE hath (but more strictly) spoke our

thoughts.

The vast rude fwinge of generall confluence

Is, in particular ends, exempt from sense:

And therefore reason (which in right should be
The speciall rector of all harmonie)
Shall fhew we are a man, distinct by it,

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From thofe, whom cuftome rapteth in her preaffe.
Afcend then, VIRGIL: and where first by chance

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We here haue turn'd thy booke, doe thou first reade.

VIRG. Great CAESAR hath his will: I will afcend.

'Twere fimple iniurie to his free hand,

That sweepes the cobwebs, from vn-vsed vertue,

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And makes her fhine proportion'd, to her worth,
To be more nice to entertaine his grace;
Then he is choife, and liberall to afford it.

CAES. Gentlemen of our chamber, guard the doores, And let none enter, peace. Begin, good VIRGIL.

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Virg. lib. 4. Æneid.
VIRG. Meane while, the skies 'gan thunder; and
in taile

Of that, fell powring ftormes of fleet, and haile:
The Tyrian lords, and Troian youth, each where
With VENVS Dardane* nephew, now, in feare

*Iulus.

Seeke out for feuerall shelter through the plaine; 60
Whil'ft flouds come rowling from the hills amaine.

DIDO a caue, The Troian* Prince the fame

* Eneas.

40 swing G, N

of the Equites.] N here N

55 enter; [Exeunt Equites.] G [Exeunt some Virg.. Eneid.] om. G, N

59 *Iulus.] om. G, N

58 where]

62 *Æneas.] om. G, N

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